Gemini Suite

Volume 2 of Connoisseur Collection's 2 part series on Ritchie Blackmore's overall career. Where Volume 1 focused largely on Blackmore's '60s sessions and his Purple work from 1968 to 1974, Volume 2 is more of a grab bag which has a lot of variety. Originally intended mostly to cover the period from 1975 (Rainbow's formation) onwards, it actually covers from 1965 to 1984 with several memorable pit-stops in between. This great CD is bolstered by great liner notes and great pictures, including some magazine covers quite rare to find anywhere else. Anyone remotely interested in the heights to which Blackmore can reach will be rewarded here.

Lana Lane's second cover collection album is quite different from the first. While Covers Collection (2002) had several tracks that were not classics and some bands quite obscure, this time she decided to focused almost entirely on classic stuff. The only real surprise is the two Foreigner tracks included here: the hard rocking Long Way From Home and the more progressive Starrider (both from their self titled debut of 1977, the latter certainly one of their best). The remaining tracks were from more obvious choices like Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Heart, Cream and The Jefferson Airplane…

Critically acclaimed pianist/composer Aaron Diehl's penchant for the past influencing the future has come full circle with his fully realised suite of Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite - the first fully-fledged professional recording of this incredible music. Solely paying tribute to Mary Lou Williams was not the goal, as Diehl's mission is to give honour and praise to one of the greatest composers of the 20th century and the forgotten rich history of Black Classical Music.

Emigrés from the British underground hip-hop scene, Wiseguys Touché and Regal made some of the most intense productions in the world of upfront big-beat techno. Releasing their material on Wall of Sound Records.

Windows is a live album by Jon Lord and the German conductor and composer Eberhard Schoener; the music and the record are primarily credited to Lord. It was taped at a concert in Munich, (West) Germany on 1 June 1974 and the music is a mix between progressive rock and orchestral late romantic/modernist styles…